Lana Condor Is Growing Up With Us: ‘XO, Kitty’ Secrets, ‘Pretty Lethal’ Kicks, And Why She’s Done Feeling Stressed

If you grew up watching Lana Condor navigate fake dating contracts and scribbled love letters as Lara Jean Covey, you might feel like you’ve grown up right alongside her. Well, guess what? She feels it too.

At 28, with a blockbuster franchise under her belt, a new action thriller in theaters, and an animation epic on the horizon, Condor is stepping into a new era of her life—and she’s taking us all with her. Between keeping the biggest secret of her career, diving into icy cold plunges, and being real about turning 30, this is the most authentic we’ve ever seen the Lana Condor.

The Secret That Almost Broke Her: That ‘XO, Kitty’ Return

Fans of the Netflix-verse lost their minds when Netflix dropped that Instagram clip of Condor sitting next to Anna Cathcart on the set of XO, Kitty. Here’s the kicker: Lana almost blew the surprise about a dozen times. The actress admits she is "so bad at lying," and keeping her cameo as the beloved Lara Jean under wraps for what felt like "three years" was pure torture.

To keep the paparazzi and spoiler-hounds at bay, the scripts had dummy names. "It was something random like Emma or Beatrice," Condor revealed. But the payoff? Reuniting with Cathcart, who plays her on-screen sister. “Honestly, no time had passed,” Condor shared, noting how electric it was to step into the world that Anna built entirely on her own. It’s a homecoming that proves the To All the Boys universe isn’t going anywhere.

From Ballet Barres to Body Slams: The Grit of ‘Pretty Lethal’

While the rom-com queen title fits perfectly, Condor is actively shredding it—literally. In her latest film, Pretty Lethal, she taps into her grueling childhood training from the Pacific Northwest Ballet. This isn't just a dance movie; it’s a bloody, balletic "John Wick"-esque showdown.

"I grew up on Whidbey Island," she recalls. "We’d take the ferry to Pacific Northwest Ballet for auditions." That discipline came roaring back. The actress admits that being on pointe shoes for sixteen hours a day was brutal. But it allowed her to bridge her past with her present. "Getting to bring in my past experience in dance was a dream come true," she says. It’s a far cry from Lara Jean’s cardigans, and honestly? We are here for the high-kicking chaos.

Redefining ‘Wellness’: The Ice Baths and The Hard Conversations

But let's put the stunt work aside for a second, because Condor’s toughest battles right now are happening inside her own supplement stack. The actress has partnered with Thorne to front their new Women's Libido Boost, a move that signals she’s done feeling shy about the "taboo" topics of female pleasure and hormonal health.

"I’m turning 30 next year," she tells us. "Things are changing. I was genuinely looking for something to support this new era of my life." She admits she didn’t realize the health of your libido impacts your overall energy in life until her husband, Anthony De La Torre, did the deep-dive research for her.

And her daily routine? It’s intense. She swears by a "non-negotiable" morning ritual that includes:

• Journaling: Just five sentences to clear the "brain dump," inspired by her journalist father.
• Hot-Cold Therapy: Sauna and cold plunges are her new obsession.
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: Three times a week, she breathes pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. "It’s probably the most unusual wellness practice I do," she laughs.

This isn't just vanity; it's survival. She wants her younger nieces to grow up in a world where asking for what they need—whether it’s support for anxiety or help with libido—is just normal conversation.

The Kraken and The Comeback

Of course, we can’t talk about Lana Condor without mentioning her vocal chops. She’s the voice of the shy sea monster in Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (catch the Art of DreamWorks Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken features for a deep dive on the animation). Voicing a giant Kraken warrior queen is a different kind of physicality, but the theme is the same: embracing the awkward, powerful transition of growing up.

Whether she is dealing with the action of Pretty Lethal, the nostalgia of XO, Kitty, or the reality of hormonal shifts, Condor is moving with a grace that looks effortless—even if it requires a lot of ice baths.

So, what’s the secret to surviving your twenties in the spotlight?

For Lana, it’s simple. "My priority is my home, my family, my dogs, and the peace inside my personal life. If I feel good at home, that’s success." And honestly? That’s the most grown-up thing Lara Jean could have ever said.